Bus bombing in northern Israel

August 4 2002

A Palestinian suicide bomber turned a bus in northern Israel into a fireball today, killing at least eight people and wounding 50, 20 of them seriously, according to the Israeli media.

The explosion gutted the bus near the town of Safad, north of Lake Galilee, a police spokesman said, but did not say whether it was a kamikaze attack or if a bag full of explosives had been left on the vehicle.

"We know there was an explosion in a bus at Meron junction," said spokesman Ofer Sivan about the bombing which occurred at a roadside rest area close to the Jewish holy site marking the tomb of rabbi Simeon Bar Yohai.

"It was a terrorist attack, although we don't know yet if it was a suicide bomber or a bag (with explosives) left on the bus," he added.

One witness told public radio the explosion blew apart one side of the bus.");document.write("

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Others said a fireball ripped through the back of the bus and tore off the roof.

The Islamic militant group Hamas claimed the bombing in a phone call to AFP, but did not say if it had been a suicide attack.

The group had vowed revenge for Israel's killing of its top military commander together with 14 other people on July 22 in an air strike on Gaza City.

It was the first bombing against Israelis since Wednesday, when Hamas killed seven people - five Americans and two Israelis - in an attack at east Jerusalem's Hebrew University.

Hamas has vowed bloody revenge for the Gaza air strike which killed the head of its military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, his bodyguard and 13 civilians, nine of them children.

Hamas said in future it would kill 100 Israelis for every one of its leaders slain.